Licensed therapeutic care for speech and swallowing disorders
Speech-language pathology evaluates patients with acquired and developmental
speech, language, cognitive, and swallowing disorders to determine a culturally
and linguistically appropriate plan of care as directed by the physician.
Casa Colina offers a full continuum of speech therapy services, from
acute rehabilitation and
short-term residential rehabilitation to
children’s services and
outpatient therapies.
Our licensed speech-language pathologists work with patients from infancy
on to help them improve their communication, including comprehension,
expression, speech clarity, reading, and writing. Speech-language pathologists
use evidence-based practices to provide patients with the highest standards
of treatment to improve articulation, voice, auditory comprehension, expressive
language, reasoning/problem solving, augmented communication, and swallowing.
Our SLPs are trained to help patients with a wide range of diagnoses, including:
Neurological disorders including stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral
palsy, and Parkinson's disease
Alzheimer’s and dementia
Autoimmune disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS)
Developmental delays in children, including autism
Genetic disorders such as Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome
Oral anomalies including cleft palate and oral motor dysfunction
Laryngeal anomalies such as tracheal stenosis
Respiratory conditions including COPD, chronic cough, and tracheostomy
Videostroboscopy
Casa Colina’s Speech-Language Pathology Department is also home to
a Pentax Medical Laryngeal Strobe and computerized speech lab, which enable
our clinicians to perform acoustic and aerodynamic voice assessments as
well as videostroboscopy to better identify and treat voice disorders.
Operated in conjunction with clinicians from our
Ear, Nose & Throat Program, this state-of-the-art device provides our speech therapists with an accurate,
minimally invasive way to assess vocal cord health.
Modified Barium Swallow Studies
As an added service for patients with swallowing difficulties, Casa Colina
offers the Modified Barium Swallow Study (MBSS), which uses radiographic
technology to diagnose swallowing issues. Our experienced clinicians serve
patients of all ages, from infant to geriatric, to diagnose swallowing
disorders stemming from a variety of conditions.
During this instrumental assessment, the speech-language pathologist (SLP)
asks the patient to consume food and liquids of differing consistencies,
mixing them with barium, allowing the radiologist and SLP to view images
of the mouth, throat, and esophagus on fluoroscopy. The radiologist and
SLP review these results to determine the nature of the swallowing difficulty
and identify appropriate treatment planning. The SLP will share these
results with your doctor and help them develop a tailored plan of care
to help you eat and drink safely and more easily.
